1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a batting practice device, and more specifically relates to a baseball batting practice device which can be utilized in a confined space by an unassisted, single player.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Batting skills are crucial to the game of baseball. The development, improvement and maintenance of batting skills requires a great deal of practice. It is not always practical or possible to employ a pitcher or an automated pitching machine in batting practice. Further, a device which is inexpensive, can be used by a single player in a confined space to allow players to practice regardless of the weather, at their own pace and at their convenience.
In an effort to provide such a practice system, a number of devices have been developed. See, for example Haskett U.S. Pat. No. 3,006,647 issued Oct. 31, 1961 and Blaha U.S. Pat. No. 2,839,300, issued June 17, 1958, and Kelly U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,494, issued Nov. 30, l976. While Haskett, Blaha et al and Kelly provide a batting practice device which can be employed in a limited space, and which have the further advantages of being used by a single player and eliminate the necessity of retrieving balls used in batting practice, the prior art devices suffer from the disadvantage of employing a free moving ball with an uncontrolled arc.
Attempts to over come devices having erratic and unpredictable ball paths are found in the disclosures of Lentine U.S. Pat. No. 3,366,383 and Sorenson U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,510. The Lentine device attempts to provide a ball which travels in the normal strike zone only when the ball is at rest, and there are no assurances that the ball will return in relatively the same starting position. In the case of Lentine, Sorenson, Blaha et al and Haskett, the batter is in constant danger of being struck in the face, back and other part of the body by the ball on its return flight.
Sorenson provides an exercise device having a tethered projectile on an elastic tether. While Sorenson attempts to eliminate the danger of a batter being struck by the ball on its return flight, the ball is positioned in the middle of the frame, and the batter must stand behind the ball to hit it and then move out of the way to avoid being hit.
It is therefore desirable to provided an improved batting practice assembly which overcomes most, if not all, of the disadvantages of the prior art practice devices.